Rampant Gilgeous-Alexander fuels Thunder, Magic and Knicks win

An epic Cade Cunningham performance kept top-seeded Detroit's NBA playoff run alive in a crucial 116-109 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

Cunningham scored a Pistons playoff-record 45 points to drag his side through a must-win game, pulling Detroit back to a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series.

The Pistons star man, having recently returned from a collapsed lung, played nearly 44 minutes as Detroit avoided a stunning first-round ouster at the hands of eighth seed Orlando.

"We dug ourselves a big hole, it's going to be a tough one to climb out of, but we handled business tonight," said Cunningham.

"We're at our best when our backs are against the wall," he added.

Having dominated the Eastern Conference during the regular season, Detroit has faltered badly at the start of the post-season.

Needing to win three in a row to escape the first round, the Pistons came out of the blocks fast in front of a home crowd Wednesday.

Playing with a high energy bordering on desperation, Jalen Duren scored seven of the Pistons' first 11 points.

Detroit owned the glass with 17 rebounds in the first quarter, building a 12-point lead.

Cunningham exploded into the game with 20 points in the second quarter alone.

But the gap closed to six points by half-time. Wendell Carter Jr. and Desmond Bane both missed go-ahead three-pointer attempts for Orlando soon after the break.

The Pistons took advantage and powered clear, building a double-digit lead by the end of the third quarter.

Orlando refused to quit, mounting a late charge including a pair of Paolo Banchero three-pointers and a Carter Jr dunk that narrowed the lead to three points.

But a Cunningham three-pointer with barely 30 seconds remaining sealed the win.

Banchero top-scored for Orlando with 45 points.

The Magic -- who only qualified for the playoffs via the play-in tournament -- will have another chance to finish a surprise series win on Friday back in Orlando.

A possible decider would take place in Detroit on Sunday.

Elsewhere, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off an impressive comeback victory to take a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Raptors.

Having twice trailed by 12 points, Cleveland powered back in the second half with a much stronger defensive performance, to win 125-120.

Evan Mobley led the rally with 10 points in the third quarter, while Dennis Schroder added 19 off the bench.

It was the fifth straight win of the series for the home team, and means all four Eastern Conference first-round playoff series are now 3-2.

In the West on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to finish their series against the Houston Rockets, which they lead 3-1.

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Nearly 60 nations hailed progress in the fight to exit fossil fuels as a breakaway conference wrapped up in Colombia on Wednesday -- but now face the harder work of turning words into action.

Ministers and envoys gathered in the coal port of Santa Marta in the hope of speeding the shift away from planet-heating fossil fuels and breaking a stalemate at the UN climate talks.

The conference was announced last year after nations failed to include an explicit reference to fossil fuels in the final deal reached at the UN COP30 climate summit in Brazil. 

But organizers say it gained momentum after the US-Israel attacks on Iran ignited a global energy crisis -- underscoring the risks of reliance even as some nations looked to fossil fuels to plug supply gaps.

From tiny island states to European powers and emerging markets, nations attended the conference voluntarily after an effort to tackle fossil fuels head-on at last year's COP30 failed.

"Countries are taking steps," said Dutch Climate Minister Stientje van Veldhoven, whose country co-hosted.

"Everybody who is here is here because they want to move further than where they are right now, and they think that we can be stronger together.

"Together we can be stronger -- and we can go further."

No binding commitments were expected but Colombian Environment Minister Irene Velez Torres said "big results" were achieved nonetheless.

She pointed to the creation of an expert panel of world-renowned climate scientists tasked with helping governments on their own transitions -- a daunting task in particular for developing nations dependent on oil and gas.

She thanked nations for coming together "to talk about the challenges (and) to talk about the taboos."

"When they look back at us from the future...They will remember that we were there and working on the challenges of our time," she said.

The climate-threatened Pacific nation of Tuvalu was also named as host of next year's conference with Ireland in what was seen as a crucial signal that the momentum would carry on beyond the first edition.

- 'Good atmosphere' -

Many major fossil fuel producers turned out for the event, from wealthy economies like Canada and Norway to developing oil giants like Angola and Brazil.

The United States, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia -- among other major producers and consumers of fossil fuels -- did not show up.

The conference bypassed the United Nations climate process altogether, reflecting a growing impatience with its failure to tackle fossil fuels, the main driver of global warming.

Many nations spoke of the relief at not having to cobble an agreement by consensus between nearly 200 nations -- a process that takes nearly two weeks at the annual COP climate summits and often ends in bitter disappointment.

"You could really feel it there -- that it's somehow a new beginning or a wake-up call, like things can't go on this way," German environment state secretary Jochen Flasbarth told reporters, noting "a very good atmosphere here."

Away from the conference rooms on the Caribbean coast, oil prices surged Wednesday to their highest level since early 2022, underlining the risk of fossil fuel reliance.

The global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East war dominated the talks, with fossil fuels cast as a threat to energy independence as much as the climate.

- Tough message -

For many nations -- particularly developing fossil fuel producers -- phasing out a major source of state revenue is easier said than done.

"Not phasing out -- phase down. That is the message," Onuoha Magnus Chidi, an adviser to Nigeria's regional development minister, told AFP in Santa Marta.

"People are going to lose their jobs...How are you trying to re-engage them in other sectors?" said the delegate from one of Africa's biggest oil and gas producers.

Nearly 200 countries agreed at COP28 in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels, but efforts to turn that pledge into action have stalled.

The discussions in Santa Marta would feed into a voluntary "roadmap" aimed at moving the world away from fossil fuels being compiled by Brazil, said Ana Toni, CEO of last year's COP30. 

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Viral posts of an Australian street dubbed the country's "most beautiful" have enticed coachloads of visitors to a picturesque seaside town -- and locals have had enough of it.

Just a two-hour drive south of Sydney, Gerringong is much like many other photogenic hamlets along Australia's east coast, with multi-million-dollar properties set against stunning views of the azure blue sea.

But recent posts on Instagram, TikTok and as far afield as China's RedNote showing the town's Tasman Drive have left residents fuming that their little slice of paradise has turned into an internet sensation.

"It's getting beyond a joke for a small country town," Peter Hainsworth, 81, told AFP as tourists frolicked on the rolling hills nearby.

"You've got people who are trying to do three-point turns, they're standing in the middle of the road taking photographs, they're leaving their rubbish.

"Everyone's fed up."

Nearby, tourists posed in the middle of the road for selfies to the fury of a sweary local resident on a bicycle who declined to speak to AFP.

Overtourism concerns have sparked backlash in many hotspots worldwide, from European cities Barcelona and Venice to Japan -- where officials erected a barrier to block a popular view of Mount Fuji in 2024 because of the disruptive behaviour of unruly tourists.

Some Gerringong residents have resorted to extreme measures, turning on garden sprinklers to prevent tourists from taking pictures on their lawns.

Others are setting up a committee to demand the road be declared a one-way street -- a bid to halt the seemingly endless stream of cars slowing to a halt as they film the viral view.

One neighbour reportedly sold their house to escape the furor.

"It's nice to see people enjoying it, but really, it's just getting a bit too much," resident Linda Bruce, 76, told AFP on a hill next to the viral view.

"It's just so weird to see so many people coming all this way for the view."

Thanks to the massive reach of the posts, which have racked up millions of views, tourists have come from across Asia -- an "unusual" sight in Gerringong, Bruce said.

"I mean, it's an amazing country, and it's there to share... it's just a bit much for the locals."

- 'Totally stunned' -

Some of the tourists have had less far to travel.

Sagar Munjal, a 28-year-old taxi driver living in Parramatta, near Sydney, drove down with friends to see the view after spotting it on Instagram.

"My eyes were totally stunned," he said.

"You can enjoy the coastal drive with the beach plus beautiful mountains."

"I was amazed to see that."

Andy Liao, a property developer originally from Chengdu, China who now lives in Sydney, told AFP he and his family had driven down after seeing the street on RedNote.

"The landscape is so beautiful," he said. "That's why I drove two hours."

But Andy said he understood why locals might be annoyed with the attention.

"If I'm living here, I don't want too many people coming to my backyard."

Others were less sympathetic to the residents' plight.

Kevin Medina, a 22-year-old cook from Colombia, provoked a string of expletives from one local when he took selfies on the roadside.

"They should be really happy, because are they getting more people to know this beautiful place."

- 'Why are they doing this?' -

Chief among the locals' complaints is that the tourists are not spending money in the area -- they simply show up, snap their selfies and leave.

Deputy mayor and local business owner Melissa Matters told AFP the financial impact was mixed.

"Some businesses are experiencing not a lot of uptake," but others "are doing quite well out of it", she said.

And while many residents had moved down from the big city seeking a quiet life, Matters said Gerringong was hardly a stranger to outsiders.

"We've always been about tourism here."

Back on Tasman Drive, tourists excitedly posed for pictures next to a speed bump sign as a grumbling resident glared at them.

"You sort of wonder, why are they doing this?" Bruce said.

"Is it because they really, really love the area and think it's so wonderful to see the view, or are they just ticking off another box on their to-do list?"

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Juan Jose Guilarte is like any other 10-year-old as he races around a park in Cuba's capital Havana.

But one detail distinguishes the sports-mad youngster who dreams of Olympic glory: his prosthetic leg.

Juan Jose was born with a congenital malformation which resulted in his left leg developing only as far as the femur and the kneecap. 

His condition has never held back the effervescent youngster, who lists off a plethora of career ambitions, from "Youtuber, scientist and teacher" as well as elite athlete.

Twice a week he practises pentathlon -- running, obstacle racing, swimming, shooting and fencing -- and kung-fu.

In his bedroom, a Spiderman figurine occupies pride of place on his desk.

"I like him a lot because he is very fast and jumps a lot," he confided.

"He loves to dream, create and tell stories," his mother Sheila Guilarte said, noting that his condition never gets him down because he brims with self-confidence.

While no hurdle seems too high for Juan Jose to clear, his sporting ambitions have been thrown into flux by Cuba's worst economic crisis in decades, aggravated by a US oil blockade.

Since January, the Havana native has been waiting for an operation to prevent his thigh bone, which is still growing, piercing the skin of his stump, which would cause him unbearable pain.

Since the age of two he has already undergone three such procedures, after which he is fitted with a new prosthesis, adapted to his height and weight.

But a shortage of the anaesthetics used to sedate patients during surgery combined with recurring power outages have led to his latest operation being indefinitely postponed.

- 96,000 awaiting surgery -

Cuba's health care system -- long a source of pride on the communist-run island -- was already in crisis before US President Donald Trump cut off oil exports to the cash-strapped island in January.

The move, coming on top of a six-decade-old US trade embargo, is part of a pressure campaign on the Cuban regime, which Trump has said is next in his crosshairs after Venezuela and Iran.

Faced with crippling shortages of both fuel and medication, hospitals have had to drastically reduce elective surgeries. 

According to the health ministry, 96.000 people, including 11,000 children, are on waiting lists for operations.

Before each sports session Juan Jose clips on a lightweight carbon-fibre prosthetic limb designed for running.

Getting his thigh into his prosthesis is more and more of a squeeze.

"It really hurts," he confided, adding: "I want to be operated on now."

- From an American, with love -

His carbon-fibre leg was a gift from a American boy with the same disability, who travelled to Cuba in 2023 to give away one of his artificial limbs after himself being on the receiving end of a donated prosthesis a few years earlier.

Juan Jose's neighbors saw the offer advertised on social media and immediately notified his family.

A few days later, the two children met in Havana and Juan Jose came away with a new spring in his step.

His prosthetist personalized the new appendage with a little Cuban flag -- which one day Juan Jose hopes to fly for his country.

"Since he was little he has said he's going to the Paralympics to win a medal," his mother said.

Juan Jose makes clear which podium place he's aiming for.

"I want to win gold!"

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Buckets of blooms adorn Yuvita Anggi Prinanda's sidewalk flower stall in Bali, but their perfume can't mask the stench of accumulating trash bespoiling parts of the resort island famed for its natural beauty. 

Bali's largest landfill was declared off-limits for organic waste from the beginning of April, as the government moves to enforce a longstanding ban on open tips.

But with no immediate alternatives provided, trash is piling up in the streets and attracting rats, or being set alight by frustrated residents, causing acrid smoke that has prompted health concerns.

"As a business owner, this is a real nuisance," Yuvita told AFP.

She has dipped into her meagre profits to pay a private company to remove the trash from near her stall.

"Some customers, perhaps bothered by the smell, ended up not making a purchase," the 34-year-old told AFP.

Her shop alone generates about four large black bags full of waste every day, mostly leaves and flower cuttings -- adding to the island's estimated 3,400 tons of daily garbage output.

On paper, Indonesia has banned open landfills since 2013, but it is only now attempting to fully implement the measure.

- 'Not a good look' -

At Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot regularly inundated with plastic debris that washes ashore, rubbish bags are piled up waist-high in a parking lot.

"You have many rats here at nighttime. The smell is not very good... it's not a good look," said Australian visitor Justin Butcher.

Around seven million tourists visited Bali last year, vastly outstripping the island's native population of around 4.4 million, and contributing to Bali's waste output. 

People caught dumping or burning trash risk up to three months' jail time and a 50-million rupiah (nearly $3,000) fine, according to I Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, the head of Bali's public order agency, but many feel they have no other choice.

On April 16, hundreds of sanitation workers drove waste-filled trucks to the governor's office in protest.

"If we don't collect our client's trash, we are in the wrong, if we collect it, where do we dispose it?" said protester I Wayan Tedi Brahmanca.

In response, the local government said it would allow limited disposal of waste at Suwung as a temporary measure until the end of July.

But from August, the government has vowed to end all open landfills nationwide, though it is unclear what alternatives will be in place by then.

- 'People need guidance'  - 

Nur Azizah, a waste management expert at Gadjah Mada University, told AFP the Suwung landfill received about 1,000 tons of waste per day and has been overcapacity for years.

Up to 70 percent is organic waste that "is dangerous because over time it generates methane, which could explode and cause landslides".

This has happened several times, including a March collapse at Indonesia's largest landfill outside Jakarta that buried trucks and food stalls, killing seven people.

Nur said the only long-term solution was a mass campaign to educate people on managing organic waste, mainly through composting. 

Yuvita agreed. 

"People need guidance. It's like when someone cannot swim, they shouldn't be told to jump right in," she said. 

The head of Denpasar's environment and forestry agency Ida Bagus Wirabawa told AFP the government has been running awareness campaigns since last year, and handing out composting containers.

Indonesia's 284 million people produce more than 40 million tons of rubbish per year, nearly 40 percent of it food waste and nearly a fifth plastic, according to the environment ministry.

Only about a third gets "managed", meaning recycled or processed, according to Nur. 

The rest ends up in nature.

Fewer than a third of the country's 485 landfills have shuttered since the ban on open dumping came into force on paper about 13 years ago.

"We have not been managing waste properly, resulting in an emergency in all cities and regencies," then-environment minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq told reporters recently. He has since been replaced.

The government aims to break ground on several waste-to-energy projects in June, including one in Bali that could process about 1,200 tons of waste daily, but these could take years to come online.

mrc/mlr/sah/cms

The first direct flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years was set to take off Thursday, a new sign of a thaw after Washington deposed leftist leader Nicolas Maduro.

The American Airlines flight is scheduled to take off at 10:16 am (1416 GMT) from Miami en route to Caracas, where the United States has resumed diplomatic relations after years of tension.

To mark the occasion, representatives of the US government, the City of Miami, and the Venezuelan ambassador to Washington, Felix Plasencia, will greet passengers before the flight departs Gate D55.

Media are expected to assemble when the flight lands more than three hours later at Simon Bolivar Airport, better known as Maiquetia.

The inaugural flights will feature a special Venezuelan menu including corn pancakes known as cachapas and a Venezuelan-style chicken salad with mayonnaise, according to the airline.

Some 1.2 million Venezuelans live in the United States, and the thaw is expected to increase the US business presence in the South American nation, which has the world's largest proven gas reserves.

But President Donald Trump has also been moving aggressively to remove Venezuelans from the United States, terminating a program that shielded migrants from deportation back to the crime-ridden nation.

US forces on January 3 carried out a deadly raid in Caracas, snatching longtime US nemesis Maduro and flying him and his wife to New York to face charges of drug trafficking, which they deny.

Maduro was replaced by his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who has largely cooperated with the United States despite her ideological background.

Trump has voiced satisfaction with her policies toward US companies and has tried to enforce compliance by threatening violence. Venezuela has moved to open the oil and mining sectors to the private sector.

Trump in turn has started an easing of sanctions on Venezuela, with measures imposed personally on Rodriguez dropped.

- Daily links -

American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air will run the flight daily to and from Caracas and Miami, a hub for Venezuelans and other Latin Americans.

The company said it plans to start a second daily round-trip flight starting May 21.

American Airlines, which is based in Texas and has a large network in Latin America, started flights to Venezuela in 1987 and carried the highest number of passengers between the two countries.

It ended flights in 2019 as relations deteriorated, with the United States and other Western and Latin American nations declaring Maduro to be illegitimate after an election marred by irregularities.

The State Department continues to call on Americans to reconsider travel to Venezuela due to widespread crime but in March it ended its blanket warning against any travel.

The new flight comes despite trouble in the aviation industry, which has been hit hard by a sharp rise in oil prices after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

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Samsung Electronics said Thursday that operating profit soared 750 percent on-year to a record high in the first quarter thanks to strong sales of chips crucial for artificial intelligence, and forecast continued  healthy demand in the next three months.

The South Korean technology giant has emerged as a key player -- along with rival SK hynix -- in the supply of high-performing chips in demand from companies racing to keep up with the fast-evolving AI industry.

Their strong performance has come as the South Korean government has pledged to make the country one of the world's top three AI powers alongside the United States and China.

Samsung said in its earnings report on Thursday it had "achieved record quarterly revenue and operating profit through AI technology innovations and proactive market response".

It said operating profit came in at 57.2 trillion won ($38.4 billion), having said earlier in the month that it expected to reach a quarterly record.

Net profit hit 47.1 trillion won, beating forecasts in a Bloomberg survey of analysts, while sales reached 133.9 trillion won, an all-time quarterly high.

Its chips division also beat expectations with a huge rise in profit to 53.7 trillion won, accounting for the bulk of the unit's total.

The company said its memory arm "surpassed its quarterly sales record by addressing high-value-added AI demand despite limited supply availability, with industry-wide memory price increases also a contributing factor".

It added that it expected "strong memory demand to continue" through the second quarter as the buildout of AI infrastructure continues apace.

South Korea's benchmark Kospi stock index jumped to a fresh record above 6,700 points following the figures, which came after strong earnings from US tech giants Microsoft and Alphabet.

- Riding the AI wave -

Samsung's shares have risen around 300 percent over the past year as the AI boom boosts South Korean growth and pushes the stock market to new records.

The company has seen strong orders from major technology firms for high-bandwidth memory -- a type of chip  used in data centres and AI "accelerators", which are useful in carrying out demanding tasks and computation.

That is also pushing up the cost of less flashy chips used in consumer electronics -- threatening higher prices for phones, laptops and other devices worldwide.

However, Samsung faces risks from a threatened strike next month as workers demand higher pay and bonuses.

Tens of thousands of unionised staff held a rally last week outside the company's plant in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, to call for a seven percent wage hike, the end of a cap on bonuses and other benefits.

A group of unions representing nearly 90,000 workers in total have said they will stage a strike from May 21 to June 7 unless a deal with management is reached.

The company also faces a lawsuit in the United States alleging that it violated patents related to foldable smartphone technology by making and selling Galaxy Z Fold, Z Flip, and Z TriFold devices without permission, according to court documents.

SK hynix said last week reported net profit soared almost 400 percent to a record high in the first quarter, shrugging off concerns that the Middle East war could hit the semiconductor industry.

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A Jewish community group warned police a terror attack was "likely" just days before two gunmen killed 15 people in a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach, an inquiry said on Thursday.

Sajid Akram and son Naveed are accused of opening fire as Jewish families thronged Bondi Beach for a Hanukkah celebration in December, killing 15 people in Australia's deadliest mass shooting for 30 years. 

Australia's Jewish community "was the evident target of the attack", a high-powered royal commission tasked with investigating the shooting concluded in an interim report.

The report revealed a Jewish security group had warned police that upcoming Hanukkah celebrations were at risk in an email sent less than a week before the Bondi attack on December 14.

"A terrorist attack against the NSW Jewish Community is likely and there is a high level of antisemitic vilification," the Community Security Group wrote in an email released by the inquiry.

Police later said they could not provide dedicated officers, but would send mobile patrols to "check in and monitor the event".

The inquiry said police should consider ramping up security arrangements at Jewish celebrations "that have a public facing element".

Asked by reporters if police had failed to properly monitor the Bondi event, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was a matter for the New South Wales state government.

He said his government would "implement all the recommendations" of the report.

"I can assure the Australian public that the government will do everything necessary to protect the community in the wake of the Bondi attack," he said.

The federal royal commission -- the highest level of government inquiry -- has been tasked with probing everything from intelligence failures to the prevalence of antisemitism in Australia.

It found that Australia's counter-terrorism capabilities "could be improved".

Law enforcement agencies should commence a snap review of "leadership structures" and "information sharing arrangements" between teams responsible for counter-terrorism, the inquiry found. 

- 'We demand answers' -

The mass shooting has sparked national soul-searching about antisemitism, anger over the failure to shield Jewish Australians from harm, and promises to stiffen gun laws.

Victims' families penned an open letter in December urging Albanese to "immediately establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the rapid rise of antisemitism in Australia".

"We demand answers and solutions," they wrote.

Royal commissions hold public hearings and can sometimes run for years.

The Bondi Beach inquiry is led by Virginia Bell, a widely respected former High Court judge.

Alleged gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the assault. 

His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders.

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Beaming with excitement, Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen entered a studio in Helsinki for their final rehearsals, before departing to Vienna, where they are tipped to win Eurovision.

Pointing to the mock-up stage where she would polish her stride in a shiny silver gown and steep high heels while intensely playing the strings of her antique 1781 Gagliano violin, Lampenius, 56, told AFP they would be practising "over and over."

Smiling behind a pair of stylish glasses, Parkkonen, 36, said he was "super excited" to "see how the world's biggest TV show is done and be a part of it".

With two weeks remaining until the Eurovision Song Contest Final on May 16, international betting sites give the Nordic country around a 30 percent chance of winning, far ahead the other favourites Denmark, Greece and France. 

When meeting AFP, the two performers were relaxed and bubbly -- in stark contrast to their dramatic and intense stage personas.

Blending classical violin with pop and rock, their "Flamethrower" is "a three-minute burst of drama" of "very high musical quality," Eurovision expert Anna Muurinen told AFP. 

- 'A helping hand' -

A story about the fear of showing your true self, the song was inspired by Lampenius' own past from before she met her husband more than 20 years ago.

"At that time, I was behaving a little bit like this flamethrower," she explained.  

"I let people fall in love with me but then if they got to know me too close, I got scared, because I was afraid that that person would leave me when they knew me for real." 

Parkkonen, who appears on stage as enigmatic and brooding while lamenting his unanswered love next to a flaming confessional, hoped the song will serve as "a helping hand". 

The song is an "example of where not to go" while conveying the importance of speaking to each other and showing emotions, he said. 

Lampenius and Parkkonen had not met before the production of the song but the violinist reached out after she decided he would be the perfect vocalist to accompany her. 

As a classical violinist who began her concert career at the age of eight, Lampenius is already internationally acclaimed.  

In Finland, her private life has also received media attention over the years.

"And now here we are, life is crazy," said Parkkonen, who became famous after appearing in the Finnish reality TV show "Idols" in 2008.

- Live violin  -

Lampenius has requested permission from organiser EBU (European Broadcasting Union) to perform live with her violin in Vienna, as instruments featured on stage are typically pre-recorded.

"We don't know yet, so we will inform everyone at the same time when we get the final answer," she said.  

Finland has only claimed the top honour in the competition once when heavy metal band Lordi's monster-themed act won the hearts of the audience.

Having ended up in last place 11 times, a win "would mean a lot... to the Finnish people," Lampenius said, who herself lives in Sweden.

"I got goosebumps," she said when asked about the significance of a win. 

It would also mark the first time a song performed in Finnish won, Eurovision expert Muurinen noted. 

"Finland's cultural uniqueness has suddenly become a strength," she said. 

The 70th edition of the Eurovision occurs at a time when the event is facing a crisis.

More than 1,000 artists have urged a boycott, and several countries have pulled out in protest over Israel's participation.

Only 35 countries will be competing for the top prize in the Austrian capital, marking the smallest edition in recent years.

Parkkonen explained that the duo decided to take part in the Eurovision "with humanity and music". 

"Of course, we don't want people to suffer, all the children... it's awful... but we think of our music, we want to connect with people through love and music," Lampenius said. 

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The European Central Bank is expected to hold interest rates steady again on Thursday as policymakers weigh concerns about higher inflation triggered by the Middle East war against worries about weakening growth.

Energy costs have spiked since the near total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gas usually pass, following the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict against Iran.

Eurozone inflation is already picking up -- it was 2.6 percent in March, above the ECB's two-percent target -- but the central bank appears reluctant to quickly hike rates, fearing higher borrowing costs could weigh on the region's already lacklustre growth.

But the central bank for the 21-nation euro area is expected to keep its key deposit rate at two percent for now, where it has been since June last year, as it waits to see how the war plays out. 

Italian bank UniCredit wrote in a note that it did not "see the urgency" for the Frankfurt-based institution to act, particularly as inflation was around the ECB's target before the conflict.

"The weakening of the outlook for demand, particularly for private consumption, reinforces the case for the ECB to be patient," it said.

Data since the outbreak of the war have pointed to falling consumer and investor confidence, while a key survey in April showed eurozone business activity contracted for the first time in 16 months.

- Looking to June -

Other central banks are also taking a cautious approach.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, its third pause in a row, as it also waits for the full impacts of the war to become clear. 

The Bank of England, due to meet Thursday ahead of the ECB, is also expected to keep borrowing costs on hold.

But, with inflation higher than in other advanced economies, some members of its rate-setting committee may vote for a hike, analysts say.

While expectations of a swift eurozone rate hike have been tempered somewhat, some are now pencilling one in for the ECB's June meeting.

All eyes will be on President Christine Lagarde's post-rate call press conference for clues as to the path forward.

"Any hints about a June move will be taken on board," said ING bank economist Carsten Brzeski.

- 'Not in a rush' -

Much of the inflation and growth outlook depends on whether Iran and the United States can come to a lasting agreement that secures energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a factor over which the ECB has no control.

Speaking in Berlin earlier this month, Lagarde said the institution was facing "double uncertainty" in that it was unclear both how long the shock would last and what its effect on the broader economy would be.

ECB officials have been keen to stress that the difference between the situation now and that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when the central bank was criticised for moving too slowly to respond to surging inflation.

At that time, an energy shock combined with post-pandemic supply chain woes and tight labour markets to push eurozone inflation to record highs. 

But for now, ECB officials are "not in a rush," Bank of Latvia governor Martins Kazaks, a member of the ECB's rate-setting governing council, told The Financial Times last week. 

"We still have the large luxury of collecting data and forming our view."

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